7755 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618-2922
PO Box 19734 Irvine, CA 92623-9734 Internet http://www.MazdaUSA.com
Mazda North American Operations
December 2005
2003 Protegé Intake Manifold Shutter Valve Emission Recall 3005C
Dear Mazda Owner:
Mazda Motor Corporation has decided that certain 2003 model year Mazda Protegé vehicles
produced from March 3, 2003 through July 31, 2003 may fail to conform to California and
federal emission standards. If you are a recipient of this notice, your vehicle is included in
this campaign.
What is the problem?
On certain 2003 Protegé vehicles, the tightening torque of the screws used for mounting the
intake manifold shutter valve may have been lower than the specification. Engine vibration, air
pulsation and normal action of the valve may cause the mounting screws to loosen or fall out.
This may cause rough idling, noise and/or Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination to engine
misfiring adversely affecting the exhaust emissions.
What will Mazda do?
Your Mazda dealer will inspect the intake manifold shutter valves, and , if necessary, replace the
intake manifold shutter valve mounting screws and gaskets with new ones, or replace the intake
manifold assembly, free of charge. The repair should take approximately 4 hours to complete.
However, it may take longer depending on the service workload at your Mazda dealership. As a
reminder, the Mazda Driver’s Assurance Plan may provide alternate transportation when your vehicle
is at an authorized Mazda dealership for a warranty repair. To be eligible for alternate transportation,
your vehicle must be within the mileage and time limitations under the Mazda New Vehicle Limited
Warranty and adhere to the Rental Car Reimbursement policy. Ask your dealer for details about the
Mazda Rental Car Reimbursement Program.
What should you do?
We encourage you to make an appointment with any authorized Mazda dealer to have the intake
manifold shutter valves inspected/repaired as soon as possible. You do not need to bring this notice to
the dealer, but it may assist in the check-in process.
Important notice to owners registering vehicles in California, Massachusetts, and Vermont:
California Department of Motor Vehicles, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in conjunction with the California Air Resources Board and
the Environmental Protection Agency for the State of Massachusetts and Vermont, have
implemented the Registration Renewal/Recall Tie-In Program, which requires the completion
of Emission Recalls prior to registration renewal. Mazda dealers will provide a Vehicle
Emission Recall - Proof of Correction Certificate upon completion of the recall. Be sure to keep
the proof of correction certificate provided by the Mazda Dealer until needed for the
registration renewal process.
-Page 2-
Emission Law Information:
To ensure your full protection under the emission warranty made applicable to your vehicle by
State or Federal Law, and your right to participate in future recalls, it is recommended that you
have your vehicle or engine serviced as soon as possible. Failure to do so could be
determined as lack of proper maintenance of your vehicle. Also, your vehicle may fail a state
or local emission inspection if this recall is not completed.
What if you already paid for a repair of the Intake Manifold?
If you have already paid for the inspection/repair of the intake manifold shutter valves, you
may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable repair expenses based on Mazda’s repair
standards. Please complete the enclosed “Reimbursement Application Form,” include the
necessary documentation, and mail it to us in the pre-addressed envelope provided, allowing
6-8 weeks for processing.
Where is the closest Mazda dealer?
To locate your nearest Mazda dealer, visit our web site and try our “Locate a Dealer” feature at
www.MazdaUSA.com or consult your local yellow pages.
Moved or no longer own this vehicle?
If you have moved or no longer own your Protegé, please complete the enclosed prepaid
Information Change Card as soon as possible. This enables us to update our records and
notify the current owner.
Federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of
this notice to the lessee within ten days.
Still have questions?
If you have any questions regarding this campaign, please contact our Customer Assistance
Center at (800) 222-5500, option #4.
We actively work to improve our products and search for solutions to improve your ownership
experience. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this program may have caused
you.
Sincerely,
Mazda North American Operations

 

This is a big problem surfacing now where people are actually having valves and pistons chewed up. Thank God i'm pulling that stock manifold off and using a different one.

 

This will also rear it's ugly head as constant ramdom mis-fires. The screws will actually migrate from cylinder to cylinder.

If this recall applies to you I urge you to get it done.

 

Does anyone know if there is a recall associated with 2008 Mazda 3 Manifold? My car has less than 76,000 miles on it and my manifold has to be replaced. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if so, has it been reported to Mazda and what has been the response from Mazda? Just trying to figure out if this is just my problem or if this is a common occurrence.

Thanks.